New Jersey’s Advanced Manufacturing Talent Network and Partners Come Together to Celebrate First National Manufacturing Day

October 22-26, is designated ManufactureNJ Week.

Abandoned by many for too long over the last twenty years, the US is again realizing that you create wealth when you make things, mine things and grow things.

Newark, NJ (PRWEB) October 07, 2012

New Jersey’s Advanced Manufacturing Talent Network (ManufactureNJ), New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program (NJMEP), National Tooling and Machining Association (NTMA), the New Jersey Business and Industry Association (NJBIA) and New Jersey’s Chemistry Council all joined in a countrywide coalition of industry organizations that designated Friday October 5 as National Manufacturing Day. New Jersey celebrated national Manufacturing Day on October 5, 2012, with activities continuing during the week of October 22-26, which will be designated ManufactureNJ Week.

Toth Technologies, located in Pennsauken, NJ, hosted facility tours on October 5, while other manufacturers and schools and colleges will host events during the week of October 22. Additionally, on October 5, NJBIA delivered magnetic bumper stickers to New Jersey legislators, allowing them to kick off a promotional effort on behalf of New Jersey’s manufacturers proclaiming “NEW JERSEY we’re making it here!”.

National Manufacturing Day was sponsored by the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International (FMA), the U.S. Commerce Department’s Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and The Manufacturing Institute and supported by dozens of other national and regional manufacturing organizations. Studies by the nonprofit Manufacturing Institute and others show that almost 80 percent of Americans believe manufacturing is important to our economic prosperity, standard of living and national security. Yet only 30 percent would encourage their children to go into manufacturing as a career. This is a trend that must be reversed.

Bob Loderstedt, President & CEO of the New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program adds, “Manufacturing is key to America’s economic growth, innovation and expansion of the middle class. Abandoned by many for too long over the last twenty years, the US is again realizing that you create wealth when you make things, mine things and grow things. The resurgence in manufacturing relies on innovation, and demands that companies optimize and strengthen their supply chains, bringing production home – re-shoring -- as appropriate. These new manufacturing jobs bode well for the middle class, our economic future and our national defense. Our current challenge is to ensure that parents and our education system understand that today’s careers in manufacturing require all levels of educated workers, building careers that pay very well and allow for upward mobility. Congratulations to all of our manufacturers in New Jersey and across the country.”

Support for the event is provided by a grant to NJIT from the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

About the co-sponsors
Hosted by NJIT and sponsored by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, ManufactureNJ, the Advanced Manufacturing Talent Network works to stabilize and develop a skilled manufacturing workforce, to ensure that New Jersey manufacturers can compete effectively and succeed today and into the future.

NJMEP is a member of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program (MEP), a network of centers throughout the U.S. The centers are part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The MEPs were created to help small and mid-sized companies improve their competitive position in the market by focusing on five critical profitable growth areas: Innovation Engineering leading to profitable top line growth, Continuous Improvement to continually drive out waste and associated cost in a manufacturers operation, Supply Chain development and improvement, sustainability and workforce development. To learn more about NJMEP visit njmep.org

The New Jersey Business & Industry Association is an employer association providing information, services and advocacy for its member companies in order to build a more prosperous New Jersey. With 22,000 member companies in all industries and in every region of the state, the NJBIA is the nation’s largest statewide employer association. The NJBIA’s staff of government affairs experts frequently testifies before the Legislature and State agencies in efforts to protect the interests of New Jersey businesses. Regarded as the most credible and effective advocate for business in the state, the NJBIA is truly the voice of business in New Jersey. The New Jersey Business & Industry Association is located in Trenton, NJ.

The Chemistry Council of New Jersey (CCNJ), founded in 1955, is the premier trade and advocacy organization representing the interests of about 70 New Jersey manufacturers in the business of chemistry. Our membership consists of large and small companies that are part of New Jersey's chemical, pharmaceutical, consumer packaged goods, petroleum, flavor & fragrances and precious metals industries. The CCNJ is committed to a better quality of life through science.

NTMA’s over 1,300 member companies design and manufacture special tools, dies, jigs, fixtures, gages, special machines and precision-machined parts. Some firms specialize in experimental research and development work as well as rapid prototyping. Many NTMA members are privately owned small businesses, yet the industry generates sales in excess of $40 billion a year. NTMA’s mission is to help members of the U.S. precision custom manufacturing industry achieve business success in a global economy through advocacy, advice, networking, information, programs and services.